Walmart’s Bicycle Return Policy (in Plain English)

Remember biking all summer as a kid? When life was simple and all you wanted to do was hang out with your friends? As an adult owning a bike is important too. Not only does it help with your health but it can also help keep your wallet full.

Buying a Walmart bike is easy. There are 4 ways you can do it:

1) Walk into Walmart and Grab a Bike off the Rack

This is easy. You get to jump onÂ the exact bike you’ll be buying. It’s already put together. I did this once and even had the cashier cut the tags – I literally rode out of the store. But I only did this because I spoke with the bike assembler beforehand. He was extremely knowledgeable so I trust the bike was put together properly. Everyone should do this. Meet the assembler(s) before buying the bike. You want to rest assured knowingÂ the wheels are bolted on properly, don’t you?

2) Go to Walmart and Pickup a Bike in a Box

This means no shipping costs and no one else to possibly mess up the assembly. It’s a lot more work but handy people may enjoy the work.

3) Order off walmart.com and Have It Shipped to Your House

This is an okay option. There may be shipping costs, however. But you get to put the bike together yourself. It’s like the old saying goes, “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”

4) Order off walmart.com and Have It Shipped to a Walmart Store

Shipping directly to Walmart is free. From there, you can either choose to have it assembled or take it home in a box. I prefer this option since Walmart.com usually has a better selection of bikes than in-store. Plus, who wants to shop in-store when you can shop online? đ

Walmart’s Bicycle Return Policy

Walmart accepts returns on bicycles up to 90-days after the purchase. Just wheel the bike to customer service, hand over the receipt, and they will give you a refund. They will either refund you in cash, a Walmart gift card, put the money back on the card you paid with, or put the money back on any card you have with you. I have done this with 3 bikes and have never been hassled. The problem with Walmart is you can’t ride the bike before buying it (unless you count riding it down isles which gets you yelled at). It’s hard to know if a bike fits you unless you’ve put some real estate behind you.

Here’s the return policy in all its glory:

Exceptions to the Walmart Bicycle Return Policy

There’s a Walmart in Lincoln, NE that used to be the world’s busiest Walmart. I once called about returning a bike to that location (you can make returns anywhere). Though this isn’t official, they told me the bike must be returned within 30 days of purchase, not 90 days.

The store is in a poor neighborhood. The person on the phone said that too many kids buy bikes, ride them for awhile, and return them. They abuse the system. Because of that, the man said his location has a different return policy. I’m not sure if this is possible but it’s something to be aware of.

What’s important here is you check with your specific WalmartÂ before expecting a return. Simply tell them, “I’m not sure if this bike will be comfortable to ride. If I end up not liking it, how long do I have to return it?”

Important to Note about Walmart Bikes

Bikes sold at Walmart are cheap. If you’ll be riding more than a few miles/day, strongly consider getting a better quality bike. Walmart bikes have good frames and even use a lot of parts found on $500+ bikes. But they have weak points. For instance, I had a lower bracket go out on one of my Walmart bikes. Labor was $70. I couldn’t do it myself because I needed a specialized tool that was $60. The part was around $60 – but I got it for free.

See, if you’re going to buy a Walmart bike, buy a Schwinn. While they are the most expensive bikes at Walmart, they warranty their parts for life! That’s pretty awesome. But again, if you’re a serious rider, you probably don’t want a bike from Walmart – even if the parts are warrantied. You don’t want to pay labor + have your bike break down every season.Â Some good alternatives are the Schwinn Capital and the Kent Avondale. Both sell for under $300 on Amazon.

Enjoy saving money with a bicycle. It’s absolutely outrageous the amount of money you can save by biking instead of driving… not to mention the added health benefits! Enjoy the ride – and don’t be afraid to return something if you’re not satisfied. Walmart wants its customers to be happy.

To see other ways to save at Walmart and check out these fantastic articles.